After a surprising and unusual good first night’s sleep in Beijing, I ventured to various business sites throughout the day and flew directly to Shanghai that night. While my stay was short, to use to oft over-used colloquialism, “it was sweet”. That night I checked into my hotel only to step into what is definitely the most posh and opulent hotel I’ve ever stayed in. I immediately felt out of place and said to myself, “I don’t belong here”. As I later said to Victoria, it has everything you could possibly imagine, and everything you could possibly not. But what struck me most was what I saw out the window that night after walking across the room and opening the drapes. With jaw still on the floor from the ostentatious conditions of my living, I stared upon an old, run down building with rusty air conditioning units and laundry hung outside the windows to air-dry. I immediately went from awe to a very different kind of awe, and it almost literally brought me to tears. The emotional confluence of conditions was perfect for a flood of reactions, most of which were sobering. What contrast, what dichotomy, and what extremes. I can’t really make heads nor tails of it.
Most live on the side outside my window. I encountered many today, a closing day of finishing out a few business details and then exploring some of the back alleys of Shanghai. As a gray-haired, bearded westerner I stood out like a sore thumb, even in this very international and cosmopolitan city, especially in those parts. I eventually made my way over to the Expo – 2010, and saw there multitudes of what looked like those who lived in conditions similar to those in view outside my hotel window. Most had smiles on their faces, living peaceful and contented lives. But what do I know? I cannot peer into their hearts.
On a few different occasions this week I heard American colleagues of mine say to me, “That is so Chinese!”, referring to a business practice that is so counter-culture to the United States that is seems unfathomable. But is it wrong? I suspect the opposite might be said of Americans when Chinese businesspeople visit the United States. “That’s so American!” Yes it is, to both of us. Whenever I visit this country I’m reminded of how narrow-minded I am about so many things in life. There are a ton of people here, it’s not nearly as open as the United States, it smells in some places, cars and bicycles/motorcycles are everywhere, it’s noisy, etc. But… so what? It’s life, and these people are making it work. And for many, it’s a good life. But regardless of whether you’re from China or from America, there’s one thing we all need and lack of ourselves, and that’s perfect love. Everyone’s searching for it – it doesn’t matter where you’re planted on the globe.
Saying good-bye to China and Shanghai for now. I’m attaching a final night shot of Pudong (hope it posts because facebook and Blogger are still definitely blocked). I’m lonely, tired and homesick. I’m ready for some love.
Take me home, Jesus,
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